If you’re in Hirosaki and you’re willing to wander away from the main tourist area which is located around the Hirosaki castle, you can go visit an interesting architectural relic, a gate unique in Japan.

Built during the Edo Period, the Tsuru-kame ("Crane and turtle") gate belongs to the Seigan temple, and it is said that it was modeled after a famous gate of Seiganji, Kyoto. The gate in Kyoto was destroyed by fire, so the Tsuru-kame gate in Hirosaki is now the only example of this beautiful style…